Supporting means for loom picker spindles



June 23, 1931.

J. BERNINI SUPPORTING MEANS FOR LOOM PICKER SPINDLES Filed May 10, 1930 WNW.

Patented June 23, 1931 PATENT OFFICE JOHN BEENINI, F ALLENTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA SUPPORTING MEANS FOR LOOM PICKER SPINDLES Application filed May 10,

The invention has relation to means for supporting upon the lays of looms the spindles or rods upon which, in the case of some looms, the pickers are mounted, and

. '5, along which the pickers slide in throwing the shuttle. In practice, a spindle or rod of such class is mounted fixedly upon a loom lay at either end of the lay-beam, adjacent the correspondinglylocated shuttle-box or shuttleboxes. On account of the efiect of the picker movements along a picker-spindle or rod,

' and on account of the jarring and vibration due to lay movements, and the resulting tendencies to movements and to vibration of the. picker-spindle or rod, and consequent wear of the spindle or rod and the mountings or supports, difficulty has been experienced in the past in supporting and holding a picker-spindle or rod so that it will be kept securely in position upon a loom lay, and in preventing looseness and excessive vibration thereof, with resulting faulty delivery of the shuttle giving rise to well-known loom r troubles. 7 Various methods of mounting the picker spindle in its stand have been tried in the past, among which the clamp type, the setscrew method and the spring pressing against a the end of the spindle are among the best known and most widely used. The limitations of these types are various, that of the spring type being that it is not positive, and :the outward movement of the picker tends to withdraw the spindle from the bushing holding its inner end, permitting wear of the bushing and of the guide in the picker stand through which the outer end of the spindle passes, so that lateral play develops at such outer end.

It is found in practice that the clamp type, which holds through clamping the outer end of the picker spindle laterally against the in terior of the bore through the picker-stand provided therefor, holds the .spindle in a vise-like grip at the picker stand, but as the high spots at the tapered inner end of the v spindle and of the interior of the tapered bushing wear down the spindle vibrates at that end and if not readjusted in time will a break off at the picker stand. It is obvious Serial No. 451,213.

that a spindle thus free to move in its bushin is not a satisfactory guide for the picker.

be same limitations arise in the case where a clamp screw bearing radially against the side of the picker rod within the picker -155 stand takes the place of the aforesaid clamp; further, this device and the clamp also have been found to have a tendency to force the spindle out of line when either is clamped as tightly as is necessary.

The type in which a set-screw is applied to the outer end of the picker spindle in line with the axis thereof, will hold the spindle against the bushing in satisfactory manner only until the ends of the spindle begin to wear. Thereafter, and until subsequent adjustment is effected by taking up on the screw, the spindle is free to vibrate laterally with injurious eifects upon the picking, at tended by rapid wear of the spindle and its" mountings.

The objects of the present invention are to provide novel and improved means of securing a picker spindle in its supports or mountings, and to provide improved means" for automatically compensating for wear of the spindle ends, so that the spindle shall always be held tight, and to provide for quick and easy removal and installation of the spindle whenever desired. To these" ends, the invention comprises the combination with the lay of a loom, of means for holding the'picker spindle against lateral and endwise movement with respect to the lay, including a wedge bearing against the end of the spindle. It further includes provision of means tending at all times to force such wedge into engagement with its cooperating parts, so as to hold the spindle against endwise movement and to take up automatically'wear that may develop. Such wedge actuating means are preferably yieldingly contrived, so as to be easily displaced for quick removal of the wedge and the spindle.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is an elevation of certain parts at one end of'the lay of a shifting-shuttle-box 4 or shifting-box loom, and the parts combined therewith, is shown in the drawings as is necessary for a clear understanding-of the invention. The lay beam is indicated at 1, and at 2 are indicated the guides on which the shifting shuttle-boxes move up and down in aecordancewith the pattern mechanism to bring the desired shuttle into Working relation With the shuttle-race of the lay and with a picker (not shown) slidably mounted on the picker-spindle 3 for actuation in usual manner by the picker-stick.

The picker-spindle 3 has the usual tapered inner end 4 which is received within the correspondingly tapered passage formed in the penal bushing 5 fixed upon the side of the The picker-stand in accordance with the invention is of improved construction and comprises a block 6 which has a shoulder 7 fitting into the correspondingly shaped face of the portion 8 of the lay, being secured firmly thereto by bolt 9 passing through the portion 8 and threaded into the block 6 A passage 10 is formed through the block to receive the spindle 3, the latter fitting closely but easily within such passage. A slot 11 is formed through the block intersecting the passage 10 through which the picker-spindle is inserted and in which it is'held. The

length of the spindle and the location ofthe block 6 are so related that when the inner end of the spindle is firmly seated in the tapered bushing 5, the outer end 12 of the spindle extends partway across the slot 11, at the interior of the block 6. A member 13, of wedgeshape, fits within the slot 11, and has a plane surface 14 to bear against the outer end 12 of the picker-spindle, and a plane surface 15 obliquely disposedwith respect to its surface 14 to bear against the outerend of the slot 11 at the interior of the slot. As is obvious, when the wedge member 13 is driven 1n, the surface 15 takes bearlng agalnst the co-acting interior surface of the slot and causes the spindle-engaging'surface 14 to.

bear endwise against the end 12 of the spindle and thrust the spindle inwardly to force its inner end 4 tightly into the step constituted by the bushing 5.

To hold the wedge securely, against dislodgement and also to provide automatically for forcing it further into the slot to take up any wear developing at the ends of the spindle, the spring 16 is provided, anchored to the lay by being confined under the head of screw 9 and having its free extremity received in a notch 17 in the big end of the wedge member 13.

With this improved construction, no further adjustments are necessary after the picker-spindle has been installed and the wedge member inserted with the spring 16 bearing against its big end. The spindle can be removed and replaced without the use of any tools, by liftingthe endof the spring 16 and removing the wedge member 13, there after sliding the picker-spindle 3 outwardly through the passage 10 in the block 6. It is apparent that as the high spotson the tapered end of the spindle and on the interiorbore of the bushing 5 wear down, the spindle will immediately move inward, urged by the spring-pressed wedge member 13 and aided the spindle arises through wear at that end,

while the tapered construction prevents lateral movement at the inner end. I 7

While I have described only one embodiment of the invention and the manner in which it is to be carried into effect, it will be apparent thatv changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention, and I do not wishto be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is 1. Picker-spindle supporting devices for a loom'having, in combination, guiding means holding the spindle in parallel with the lay, a step limiting endwise movement of the spindle in onedirection, and a wedge acting upon the spindle to force it against the step.

2. Picker-spindle supporting devices for a loom, having, in combination, guiding means holding the spindle in parallel with the lay, a seat limiting endwise movement of the spindle in one direction, and a wedge actingupon the spindle to force it endwise against the seat. I T

3. Picker-spindle supporting devices for a loom, comprising the, combination with the lay, of means for holding the spindle against relative lateral and endwise movement ineluding a wedge bearing against the end of the spindle. l

4. Picker-spindle supporting devicesfor a loom, comprising the combination'with the lay, of means for holding the spindle against relative lateral and endwise movement including a spring-pressed wedge bearing against the end of the spindle.

5. Picker-spindle supporting devices for a loom, comprising the combination with the lay, of means for holding the spindle again-st lateral and endwise movement upon the lay, including an adjusting member engaging the spindle and having an oblique face to engage a fixed surface in connection with the lay.

6. Picker-spindle supporting devices for a loom comprising the combination with the lay, of means for holding the spindle against lateral and endwise movement upon the lay, including an adjusting member engaging the spindle and having an oblique face to engage a fixed surface in connection with the lay, and means acting upon such adjusting member to cause relative movement of such oblique face with respect to the fixed surface and thus to control the adjustment of the spindle with regard to its holding means.

7 Picker-spindle supporting devices for a loom, comprising the combination with the lay, of means for holding the spindle against lateral and endwise movement upon the lay, including a follower interposed between the end of the spindle and a fixed surface on the lay, and having an inclined surface such that the follower bears against the spindle endwise of the latter when moved transversely of the spindle.

8. Picker-spindle supporting devices for a loom, and means for holding the spindle against lateral and endwise movement upon the lay, including a follower interposed between the end of the spindle and a fixed surface on the lay, and having an inclined surface such that the follower bears against the spindle endwise of the latter when moved transversely of the spindle, and means acting on the follower to produce such movement.

9. Picker-spindle supporting devices for looms comprising the combination with the 'lay, of a step for one end of the spindle, a

guide for the other end thereof, a wedge bearing against the latter end, and a spring forcing the wedge into engagement with such end.

10. Picker-spindle supporting devices for looms comprising the combination with the lay, of a taper-ed bushing for the tapered end of the spindle, a picker stand having a passage therethrough forming a guide for the other end of the spindle, a slot through the stand intersecting such passage, and a wedge occupying said slot and bearing endwise against the latter end of the spindle.

'11. Picker-spindle supporting devices for looms comprising the combination with the lay, of a tapered bushing for the tapered end of the spindle, a picker stand having a passage therethrough forming a guide for the other end of the spindle, a slot through the 

